


There's So Much You Have to Go Through

by donutsweeper



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Families of Choice, Found Families, Gen, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-02-27 01:45:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2674277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutsweeper/pseuds/donutsweeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe has to save Barry for a change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's So Much You Have to Go Through

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chosenfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chosenfire/gifts).



> A Yuletide treat for chosenfire28.
> 
> Betaed by leapersonata, with my thanks.
> 
> Title borrowed from "Father and Son" by Cat Stevens.

Dust was everywhere, causing Joe to cough. For a moment he couldn't figure out what had happened. Then memory returned: he had tracked Timmons to an abandoned warehouse and confronted him there. Which turned out to be a stupid idea because the next thing he knew, Timmons was reaching into his jacket and throwing something at him. It took him all of a second to realize it was one of the man's homemade grenades. Joe turned to run but knew he'd never get out of the blast radius in time. Then Barry sped in from out of nowhere, grabbed him, and- Barry!

"Barry?" he yelled as he started to push himself up off the floor. Started, because while his arms and chest were free, his left foot and leg were trapped by some rubble. An uncomfortable twist and shimmy later and Joe managed to get his flashlight out of his pocket could see he wasn't going to get his leg free anytime soon. He was still in the warehouse but now in the back office where the desk had protected him from the explosion, but only blocked some of the debris that rained down after it.

"Barry!" he called again as he shined the light about. "Come on, answer me, son."

There was a small groan from behind him. 

"Barry? Barry!" Looking over his shoulder Joe saw a large heap of debris shift slightly. 

"Joe?" It was weak and scratchy, but his name had never sounded better.

"Barry, are you alright?" Two large pieces of the office's former door teetered off the top of the pile and crashed onto the floor and a red gloved hand emerged.

"Guess this door led to an office and not the outside," Barry joked as he began pulling pieces of wood panelling and random detritus off of him and tossing it to the side. "Sorry about that."

"If it wasn't for you I'd have blown up."

"Technically, I think you did blow up."

"Barry," Joe chided and then got back to the subject at hand. "How are you? Can you get yourself free? I'm fine but my foot is trapped."

"I'm trying. I need to shift some more of this stuff and then I can come help you."

Barry worked for a few moments more and soon his other arm appeared. Things appeared to be going well when all of a sudden Barry gasped out in pain loud enough for Joe to hear. 

"Barry!"

"I'm. I'm okay," Barry said in a voice that suggested he was anything but. "Just stuck." 

"Yeah, I don't believe you for a moment." It was hard, not being able to _see_ Barry, just having to go by vocal cues, but he'd been reading meaning into what his son said for more than a decade and he knew with one hundred percent certainty that there was no way that Barry was 'just stuck'.  
 

Okay, so he had to get himself free so he could help Barry. Or get someone who could.

His phone! Joe turned as much to his side as he could and dug around in his jacket pocket until his fingers brushed over a familiar shape. "It's okay, Barry, I got my phone and I'm going to call for help." Except when he pulled it out he discovered that the screen was completely cracked and it wouldn't turn on.

He tried to convince himself that not being able to call for help wasn't the end of the world. Even in Central City's warehouse district someone was going to notice a large explosion and a building imploding on itself. His car was parked right outside, the first responders would run the plates and possible officer in distress would bring lots of help, fast. They would be rescued, it was just going to take longer this way.

But knowing that rescue was (in theory) on its way didn't help the fact that Barry was hurt _now_ and Joe didn't have a clue as to how badly. He couldn't wait, he had to get himself free and get himself free as soon as possible.

"What about your suit?" he asked, suddenly remembering about all the tech built into it.

"There was something in the building that was interfering with the signal. Cisco tried to explain it before we got cut off, but..." Barry's voice wavered, although whether in pain or uncertainty, Joe didn't know. Either way, he supposed it didn't matter. The Star Labs team wasn't in contact with Barry and while they might be relied on to place an anonymous 911 call, Joe couldn't count on them doing it any time soon.

Right. First things first. Get himself free and then help Barry. Okay. He could do this.

Pushing himself up off the floor, he set the flashlight on a bit of debris near his head and aimed it towards his feet. Damn wooden panelling, it was ugly and heavy and currently trapping his foot. By kicking out and pushing with his free foot he was able to move some of the debris, but not enough. He was still stuck. Looking around for anything he could use as a lever he spotted a broom up against what was left of the wall to his left. If he could just reach it, he stretched and stretched, his fingers just grazed it and he stretched some more, despite the pressure it put on his foot he kept stretching and finally.... Ha! He grabbed it and pulled it close.

"How you doing, Barry?" Joe asked as he slipped the broom handle down his leg, working it under the broken wooden slats until he couldn't push it forward any further. Now he needed something to act as the fulcrum... To his right was a travel mug. Not ideal, but at least it was decently shaped and he could roll it along the floor a decent ways to get better leverage. "Barry?" he called again as he pushed the mug into place. "You still with me?"

"Where 'm I gonna go?" was the reply. A reply that worried Joe, it was too weak. Something was wrong. But he couldn't think about that now. Focus on getting free first.

"Funny, very funny." With the mug in place Joe started leaning on the free portion of the broom, slowly so not as to break it. "You always were a comedian." There was an ominous creaking sound and Joe felt some of the pressure that had been on his heel lessen. Holding the broom in place, he tried shifting his foot then tilting it and finally pushed at the pile with his right foot while putting as much weight on the broom as he dared and then enough things shifted that he was able to pull his foot free.

"Yes!" He had to stop himself from punching the air to celebrate. He got up on his knees and then gingerly pulled his left leg under him and was relieved when it seemed to take his weight with only a slight twinge. "Hang on, Barry, I'm coming."

Running over, he grabbed his son's hand, immensely relieved when Barry immediately squeezed his hand back. "Joe?"

"I'm here, Barry. I'm right here. Now let's get you out of here, alright?"

Joe started carefully, but quickly, lifting the various pieces of remaining debris off Barry. After a few minutes of work, he was horrified to discover why Barry was in so much pain. A broken board was sticking straight out of his side. Okay, don't panic. Keep him calm. He'll be all right. "Try to hold still, son, you have a piece of wood in you and I don't want you to do more damage to yourself than you already have."

"It hurts, Joe."

"Yeah," Joe replied, running his fingers over Barry's head to check for other injuries. "I don't doubt it. Now tell me, and don't you dare lie, are you hurting anywhere else?"

"No, the suit protects me pretty well and besides, it's fine, I heal fast, remember?"

"Just because you heal quickly, it doesn't mean you should make light of any injuries." A siren started in the distance. "That'll be the first responders, they'll be able to help you."

"No, Joe, I can't." Wide eyed, Barry grabbed Joe's shirt and pulled him closer. "I can't let them find me here, not like this. They'll take off my mask, Joe. We can't let them do that."

"Okay, okay, calm down." The sirens got louder. "What can I do?"

"Help me pull it out." Barry let go of Joe and wrapped his hands around the wooden slat.

"Barry, no, you don't know what kind of injury you have; pulling it out could make it worse."

"But I can't run with it in. Please, Joe. Look, if it's too serious I'll stay here and let the EMTs treat me and do whatever they want, but please. Joe. The Flash is too important."

"I don't-"

"Joe, _please_."

"Fine," Joe spat out. "But, for the record, I am against this." He wrapped his hands around the slat below Barry's. "Ready? On three. One. Two. Three!" And with a sickening squelch they pulled it free of Barry's body as he cried out in pain. 

The wound wasn't as deep as Joe had feared it would be. It did bleed of course, that was inevitable, but Joe was relieved to see the flow was sluggish and already slowing after mere minutes. He untucked his shirt, grabbed his undershirt and ripped off a strip to use as a makeshift bandage. "There. Now let's never do anything like that ever again."

Sitting up, Barry curled his arm around the wound. "See, I'm fine," he said, mustering strength and finality into his voice.

"There is no way in hell you are fine, but I'll give you the fact that you're better off than I thought you'd be." Offering Barry his hand, Joe carefully, gently, pulled him to his feet. There were sounds from the main area of the warehouse of the rescuers arriving. Joe gave Barry a quick hug, and a surreptitious kiss to the top of his head, before stepping back and away. "Go on, kid, get out of here. The Flash will live to run another day."

"Thanks, Joe!" And then with a burst of air, he was gone.

Joe sighed and limped out of the room to go find someone to report in to.


End file.
